Conventional air chillers used with aircraft and other galley food service systems are designed such that when a small portion of the galley or an individual cart needs cooling, the entire cooling system needs to be operated. This results in a greater consumption of energy than is necessary.
Existing chillers that are currently in use in aircraft galleys are relatively large and AC powered. Because of the size of these chillers, they are currently in use only on large commercial aircraft. These commercial aircraft may have three or more galleys which store eight to ten galley carts. If the single large chiller is not operating, there is no cooling provided to the particular galley food system. Conversely, even if an operator desires to cool just one of several galley carts in an aircraft galley, all of the carts are subjected to the cool air of the chiller.
Given the size and weight of the existing chillers, the galleys in smaller aircraft such as general aviation or business jet aircraft do not have sufficient space in which to install chillers. As a result, these aircraft do not have the capability to maintain food at a temperature cooler than the cabin temperature. Furthermore, if AC power is not available, existing chillers cannot provide cooling to an aircraft's galley food system.
Given the size and weight of current aircraft galley chillers, a smaller lighter chiller that could be used in smaller business and general aviation aircraft as well as inside an individual galley cart would be an important improvement in the art. Furthermore, an aircraft chiller capable of operating on DC power would be an improvement in the art.